The Fashionable Four
by fantastic-fan
Summary: Four fashionable youngsters receive powers to defend humanity! Chapter One: There Will Come--A Reckoning!


Part One : "There Will Come—A Reckoning!"

(Announcer: It all started in a non-descript, middle-class town called Lawndale.  It was a town full of God-fearing Christian girls and boys who were paragons of intelligence -- )

Tiffany:  This lipstick doesn't...work right....

Stacy: Tiffany, that's a crayon!

(Announcer: -- bravery --)

(The Fashion Club is reviving Stacy, who has passed out.  A butterfly flies out of shot.)

Sandi: Gahd, I keep telling Stacy that butterflies don't _bite_, but she doesn't listen! 

(Announcer: -- forthrightness --)

Quinn (on phone):  No Joey, I can't go out with you, I'm going out with Jeffy tonight....this _is_Jeffy?...uh...well, then, that's what I _would_ be saying if Joey were calling me, but what I would say to _you_ on the other hand, is that you would be like _totally_ understanding—hey, listen, Jeffy, if you're always going to be accusing me of something, then maybe I _should_ be going out with Joey tonight....!

(Announcer: ...and common-sense, old-fashioned morality.)

Sandi (stares at bottle, thinking):  _Gee, I wonder how if Everclear would melt a Zima bottle?_

(Announcer: This intrepid quartet of young ladies would soon be on the front lines in the battle against evil, to fight against the enemies of Americans, both foreign and domestic, wherever they might rear their evil foreign heads!  These young ladies would soon strike terror in the hearts of evildoers everywhere as....THE FASHIONABLE FOUR!!...

...but first, their exciting origin story!)

(Scene: The Morgendorffer residence.  The Fashion Club is watching Sick Sad World.)

Tiffany:  Maybe you should take the batteries out....

Quinn (struggling with remote control)  Damn my si—uh, cousin!  She programmed the remote!  We're locked in to Sick Sad World!  I can't get it off this frigging channel!!

Sandi : Gee, Quinn...maybe you should watch what your au pair is doing to your appliances!  I don't think there's a point to our staying here! 

Stacy: Well, we can't go to _your_ house, Sandi.  Your brothers...brrrrr!

Quinn: Why don't we go to Tiffany's house?

Tiffany:  There's a...poker game....

Sandi: Ewwww!  Big smelly men with cigars and guts!

Stacy:  And they're having a bridal shower at my house, and my mom said O-U-T out!

Sandi: As President of the Fashion Club, it seems that we will have to abandon our plans to watch Fashion Vision and resume our debate about inappropriate rainwear!

Quinn:  Gaaah!!! (throws remote across room)

SSW Announcer:  _Sue Storm here for Sick Sad World!  There's a new trend that is sweeping Paris, Milan, Monaco, and London and taking the fashion world by storm!_

(The Fashion Club runs back to the couch.)

SSW Announcer:  _Fashion's Final Frontier...SPACE HAIR!!_

(We see four models, an Asian, a redhead, one in pigtails, and one insufferably smug all with hairdos that not only defy gravity but possess an unearthly aura.  The Fashion Club watches, eyes wide, unable to turn away.)

Tiffany:  Oooo...space hair....

Space Model_: In order to have hair like this, you need a good conditioner, and at least five days on the International Space Station! _

SSW Announcer: _But isn't that expensive?  It costs several hundred thousand dollars to ride on the Space Shuttle...at least!_

Smug Space Model:  _Let the Unfashionable worry about not having Space Hair!  Of course, you can get Space Hair at certain plastic surgeons that take money down, no questions asked...of course, I can't mention any names on TV.  The only place I know of you could even find anyone THAT unethical is...._

(Scene:  The Fashion Club is standing outside the door to Dr. Shar's office.)

Stacy:  Oh no!!!

Tiffany: "Dr. Shar...regrets to inform...."

Quinn:  Sabbatical!  How can she be taking a sabbatical!!

Sandi: This is a fashion crisis of the highest order!

Tiffany: "her....customers...that...."

Stacy:  Is there a window?  Is there anybody in there?

Sandi:  We cannot stand here one more minute and not have Space Hair!  Who knows who else will be at school tomorrow with Space Hair?

Tiffany: "due...to...her...workload...."

Quinn:  Brooke!  

Sandi:  Oh...my...God!  I know Brooke will try to have Space Hair as soon as possible!

Stacy: Can we _fake_ Space Hair?  I have a lot of hair spray!  I have Ultrahold!!

Sandi: There would be _nothing_ more pathetic than showing up at school with fake Space Hair!  It would be a serious fashion violation!

Stacy: Eap!  Sorry!

Tiffany: "she...will...be...taking..."

Quinn: Sandi, Stacy, Tiffany, we have _got_ to get in there somehow!  The only person I know who might have space hair technology is Doctor Shar!

Stacy : Uh...gee, Quinn? What are you suggesting we do?  Break in?

(Quinn and Sandi look at each other.  Then, they smile.  Wicked, evil grins.)

Stacy (hyperventilating):  Oh no!  We can't get into trouble!  My Mom will kill me!!

Tiffany:  "a...sa-bat-ical.  Sabbatical."  (looks around)  What's a sabbatical?

(Scene:  Later that night.  Three members of the Fashion Club are at the RxPlex.  It is the middle of the night, there are no lights, and they are all wearing black.)

Tiffany: Black...goes with everythinnnngggg....

Sandi (into open air vent):  Sta-cee!  What are you doing in there?

Stacy (muffled, from vent): Gee, it's really dark, Sandi!  Couldn't you have given _me_ the flashlight?

Sandi: Gee, Stacy, I didn't think you would have been so inconsiderate as to leave _us_ out in the dark at the mercy of the Mall Cops, should they come!

Stacy (muffled from vent): Sorry!

Quinn: Stacy!  Can you find anything in there?

Stacy (muffled from vent):  I..uh..it's mighty cramped in here!  And it smells like fishsticks!  

(The sound of something large, yet petite, can be heard crashing from the vent.  Sounds of ripped metal and broken glass can be heard.)

Stacy:  Uh...I think I'm inside!  Owie!  I...I just hope I'm not _bleeding_!

Sandi:  Sta-cee!  Throw down the rope!

(Scene: Inside Dr. Shar's office.  The lights are now on.  Stacy looks slightly bruised, and one sleeve has been ripped off her black sweater.)

Stacy:  Guys, I think I'm seriously hurt, here....

Quinn: Stacy, don't be such a pain wimp!  Think of it as a sacrifice for fashion!

Tiffany (holding up book):  "Breast Augmentation...Before...and After...."

Sandi:  We don't have time for that!  We're on the hunt for Space Hair!

Tiffany:  "Space...Hair...."

Sandi: Yes, Tiffany, _dearrrr_....Space Hair!

(Tiffany points.  A door is marked "Space Hair Technology Center".)

(Scene: The Fashion Club has found the SHTC.  Each of the girls is under an old fashioned 1960s metallic hair dome.  They all wear crossed shoulder safety belts like fighter pilots.  Quinn is sitting at a chair which has a control panel.)

Sandi:  The Final Frontier...Space Hair!

Stacy:  Gee, I'm so excited I could just scream!!

Tiffany:  ...scream....

Quinn:  All right...I think I understand the controls.  Everyone strapped in?

Stacy: Check!

Quinn:  Styling gel applied at 65 degrees?

Sandi (pulling thermometer out of hair):  Check!

Quinn:  Maximum Hold Hair Style Styling Substance Levels?

Tiffany: (looks at indicator) ...nommmminal.

Quinn:  All right...releasing spent uranium pellets...cyclotron...ACTIVATE!

(A loud, dangerous whirring sound is heard in the background.  The helmets start to glow, first blue, then ominous green.)

Tiffany:  I don't feel any...different.

(All of the hair units begin shaking simultaneously.)

Tiffany:  _Oh._

(Every metal object, save for the girls, immediately leaps in the air and is magnetized to the ceiling.)

Sandi:  Eap!

Quinn:  Uh...guys...this little thingie on the counsole says "Critical Radiation Leaking: Abort, Retry, Delete?"  That doesn't sound too good...!

(The units begins to shake violently.  The overhead lights go out, but the unit hasn't stopped functioning.)

Stacy:  Q-Q-Quinn...I'mm s-s-starting to g-gg-et scared!!

Sandi (gritting teeth): We're breaking up!  Abort!  Abort!!

Quinn (clicking): C-Clicking on icon!!....d-dancing hair comb still d-dancing!!...unable to s-stop function...!!"

Tiffany: I'm starting to feeeeeeeeeeeee....

(The other girls look to Tiffany...they can see through her skin down to her glowing green skeleton.)

Tiffany: ...feel faaaaaattt!!!

(Quinn looks at the screen, which goes black.  She sees "Please Wait for Microsoft Windows 95 To Complete Shutdown".  She turns to look at the others.  All of the others have become 'skeletonized' as well!)

Quinn: I think...I'm going...to be...be...SICCCCKKKKKK!!!

(Scene: Peace and Quiet.  Then an explosion which blows the front out of RxPlex.  A metal hair dome falls out of the sky.  Complete devastation.)

(The four Fashion Club members wake up from unconsciousness.)

Sandi:  Uh...are we alive...and...do we have Space Hair?

Quinn (feels head): Yes...yes, and thank God!

Sandi: Is that 'yes' to alive...or to Space Hair?

Stacy:  Is everyone okay?  I feel like I'm gonna puke!

Quinn: Don't puke here!  You'll start a puke reaction!  Go over there!

Tiffany (feels head): So...no Space Hair.  (sniffs air)  Hmm...I think something is burning....

Sandi:  Aaah!! Tiffany, that's you!!

(Tiffany looks down.  Her right shoe is on fire.  She shakes her foot violently, and the shoe flies off, but her right foot is still burning.)

Quinn: Eap!  Stop drop and roll, Tiffany!! Stop drop and roll!

(Tiffany stops, drops, and rolls.  It only seems to fan the flames further.  Tiffany stands up as the lower half of her body is on fire.)

Tiffany:  Gotta get...waterrrrrr!!!  (Tiffany runs, aflame!)

Quinn:  Tiffany!! Come back here!! 

(From her knees, she stretches out her arm as if to reach for Tiffany.  To her surprise, her arm begins to stretch...first a foot...then two...then TEN!!!)

Quinn:  AAAAAAHHHH!!!!  (Quinn loses control of her arm, which begins to zoom about in unpredictable directions.)

Stacy:  Oh God, we're going to die!! Tiffany is on fire and Quinn is becoming a mutant!  This Space Hair is going to kill us..!!

(Stacy begins to slowly become transparent, as if she were an image fading from the screen.)

Sandi:  Stacy!!  Wait!! Don't go!!  

(Stacy disappears completely.  The others can hear still her voice, though.  Stacy is obviously invisible.)

Stacy:  I know my Mom's _rea_lly going to ground me now!!

Sandi:  Stacy, where did you go? (panicking)  Where are you?!?

(Sandi turns around.  She sees Tiffany.  Tiffany is completely aflame, but does not appear to be disintegrating.)

Tiffany:  Uh...Sandi...across the street they're selling bottled water...do you...like...have five dollars?

Sandi : AAAHHHHHHH!!!  (runs down street)

(Sandi runs away from the mall.  The sounds of multiple sirens can be heard in the background.)

Sandi:  My friends...my friends are all dead!  I killed them!!  

(Sandi stops running, as her body begins to stiffen up.)

Sandi:  Oh my God!!

(The color of Sandi's skin begins to turn orange.  She becomes slightly larger, but loses none of her fashionable teen proportion.  She looks like a completely normal, teenage, fashionable girl...who is turning into orange granite.  Her shoes burst open.)

Sandi:  My Athena Alexanders!

(The seam of her black slacks, stretched to the breaking point, being ripping from the ankles up.)

Sandi: My Versace!

(Sandi looks at her hands, which are now orange, granite.  She looks like a seven-foot orange-colored statue of Sandi Griffin, given unholy life.)

Sandi:  My...body!!  NOOOOOO!!!!

(Sandi sinks to her knees, sobbing.  When her knees hit the ground, the sidewalk cracks.)

Tiffany:  Sandi!!

Sandi (looking up, tears in her eyes):  Tiffany!! Tiffany!!...I must be hearing you from Heaven!  I'm like, sorry I set you on fire!!  Please, don't send me to Hell!!

(Sandi turns around.  Tiffany is standing there, stark naked.)

Tiffany:  Like...we neeed...to get out of here!

Sandi:  I agree.  Nudity is _so_ unfashionable!  But...why are you not on fire?

Quinn:  We're all okay!!

Sandi:  And your arm's unstretchy!!

Quinn:  It's like...temporary!!  Like we could do it at will!!

Stacy (now visible):  It's really cool! It's like we've been given powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men!!  

Quinn: God, Stacy!  Don't be a geek!

Stacy: Eap!  Sorry! (becomes invisible)

Quinn:  Stacy, get back here!

Stacy:  Sorry! (reappears)

Quinn:  See?  We can do this whenever we want to!  Now, turn back to human and let's get out of here!!

Sandi:  Agreed.  (Sandi squints her eyes, but nothing happens.)

Quinn: Sandi, stop kidding around and let's go!

Sandi:  I'm trying!  I'm trying!!

Tiffany:  Maybe...if you would squint...harderrrrr....

Sandi:  Shut up!! I--it's no use!! I'm stuck!!  I have to get out of here!! I'm a freak!!  A FREAK!!!!

Quinn:  Sandi, you are NOT a freak!  You are the President of the Fashion Club!  We can't make decisions without you!!

Sandi:  H-How can I be President...looking...like THIS?

Quinn:  Sandi, so you're made out of rock, you still look great! 

Tiffany:  Yeah...and being tall is reallllly cool.

Sandi:  (taken aback)  You...still want me!

Quinn: Of course, we still want you!  Friends forever?

(Sandi gingerly stretches out her hand.  Quinn puts her hand on Sandi's.  Stacy and Tiffany put their hands on top.)

(Announcer:  ....and so...A LEGEND WAS BORN!!  The four teens immediately put their powers to good use!)

(Scene:  We see a building in downtown Manhattan.  The large granite-steel-plastic sign at the ground floor reads, "Four Freedoms Plaza".  We then zoom onto a name plate located somewhere in the building:

FASHIONABLE FOUR ENTERPRISES

and below that, in smaller, understated letters....

'marketing division'.               )

Ramonica:  Dahlings, I must say, I expect Fashionable Four Enterprises to top sales of over fifty million dollars this year!

Claude:  Choosing us as your advisors was bleeding edge, girls!  Our projects will take us to the roof!  The sky's the limit!  Quinn, Coco Chanel wants you to be on the cover of Vogue wearing her new spring line!

Quinn: It's so great!  It's like now that I can stretch I can wear any size!  Even the size twos from Ann Taylor!

Ramonica:  Stacy, they love your new commercial: "disappear into Buzz Cola"!  Your Q Rating is going right through the roof!

Stacy (blushing): Uh, gee...thanks!  (begins to become slightly transparent)

Claude: And, Tiffany, your new book, "Tiffany: What I Believe" is going to picked up by Harper Collins a month from now!

Tiffany:  But...I....didn't write...a book!

Claude: Trust me, darling, you just put your pretty name on the cover and no one is going to care!  

Ramonica: Yes, cheap writers are a dime a dozen, but your...your facial magnetism is what is going to sell to the young Asian teen market!  We're thinking unabashed patriotism and striking beauty!

Quinn:  Cool!  And what will Sandi be doing?

(Silence.)

Ramonica:  Well...frankly, we're thinking of dropping Sandi from the Fashionable Four!

Stacy:  Oh no!

Quinn:  Don't be stupid, Stacy, they can't drop Sandi!

Claude: Trust me, children, "Fashionable Three" doesn't have a ring to it!

Ramonica: Oh shut your cakehole, Claude!  That debacle in Milan at the Donna Karan show where she shows up in a floppy hat, sunglasses, and a scarf!  She looked like one of those awful Arab women! I could have gotten RuPaul instead!  And cheap, too!!

Claude:  I will admit that Sandi has been the...shrinking violet....

Ramonica:  Exactly!  Now we could get, oh, someone young, athletic...someone for contrast...I'm thinking black, a multicultural theme!  Get this!  Instead of Sandi...Serena Williams!

Quinn: What are you talking about?  Sandi's just...well..._shy_!

(Stacy giggles.)

Quinn: Sta-cee! You're not help-ing!

Stacy: Sorry! (disappears)

Ramonica: Quinn, as nominal leader of the Fashionable Four, you are going to _have_ to bring Ms. Griffin in line!

Quinn: Oh all right!  Give me the camera thingee!

(Quinn attaches a mini-cam to her wrist.)

Quinn: Open the door.  I know the way down.

(Scene:  We watch Quinn extend her hand out the door.  The hand opens a door, then begins to move down stairs, extending the arm to a length of over fifty feet and showing no signs of stopping.  The hand opens the door at the lower floor, and moves along, until it reaches a steel door marked "Sandi Griffin".  Quinn's voice can be heard from the trebly camera speaker.)

Quinn:  _Sandi!  We have to talk_!

(Silence.)

Quinn:  _San-dee_!

Sandi (from behind door):  Go away!  Leave me alone!

Quinn:  _Sandi, you have to come up here!  They're talking about replacing you from the Fashionable Four_!

Sandi:  Let them replace me!  See if I care!

Quinn:  _Dammit, Sandi, this is serious!  You get out here this instant_!!

Sandi: (pause)  Oh, I'll come out all right...!

(Scene:  The conference room.)

Quinn:  Ah, Sandi! That's better!  Now, listen, if I could just...EEEEEYOOOOOOOOOWWWWIEEEEE-OOWWWIIE-OWWWIEEEE!!!!

(Everyone watching the cameras winces, and Claude puts his hand over his mouth.  He runs for the wastebasket and begins to dry heave.)

Stacy:  Quinn!   Are you all right?

(Quinn reels in her forearm.  Instead of a hand, she has a fistful of crushed fingers.  The camera has been destroyed.)

Tiffany:  Are..you...hurt...?

Quinn (snapping her elastic hand again and again, as her hand bends back into its natural shape):  Only my pride, Tiffany!   And now I'm pissed off!!  Gahhhh!!  

(Quinn storms out of the room.)

Romanica (turning to Stacy and Tiffany):  Like I said, our plan is –

Stacy:  We have to go.   (The two go running out of the room, following Quinn.)

(Scene:  The Griffin compound.  The elasticized Quinn is the first to arrive.)

Quinn:  What the hell was _that_ about?  What did I ever do to deserve _that_?

Sandi (from behind the door):  Why can't you just leave me alone?

Quinn:  Come out here!   Don't make me open that door!  

(Stacy and Tiffany arrive.)

Quinn:  Tiffany...blast that door open!  

Tiffany:  But...my...clothes...!

Sandi (from behind the door):  Don't bother!

(The door is slammed open with such force that one of the metal hinges shatters.  The door could have kept out a company of soldiers, but not Sandi Griffin.  She steps out wearing a plus-size Hello Kitty sweat suit.  She looks exactly the same as she did following the Space Hair incident: seven feet tall and made of orange rock.  Despite that, she is still a beautiful girl...but one burning with rage....)

Sandi:  I suppose you wanted to see me?  Well, here I am!

Quinn: What in the world is the matter with you, Sandi?

Sandi:  Nice to see you, Quinn?  Have you taken over the Presidency of the Fashion Club now?  You certainly don't need me at your little meetings anymore!

Quinn: Sandi, we invited you!  _You_ were the one who didn't choose to show up!

Sandi:  Exactly!  And you and Stacy and Tiffany went ahead anyway!  You always hated me!  You were always jealous of me!  And now, you've got me right where you want me!  I'm a freak!  I'll always be a freak!!  You'll be beautiful, and I'll be...a FREAK!!

Stacy:  Sandi, you're _scaring_ me....

Sandi:  Shut up, Stacy!  You're probably glad that I'm this way!  You're a star now, and I'm _nothing_!

Quinn : Sandi, you have got to calm down...!

Sandi (pauses):  No.  I don't.  I don't have to calm down!  I DON'T HAVE TO CALM DOWN EVER AGAIN!!

(Sandi goes back into her room.  Quinn goes inside to follow her.  After three seconds, Quinn goes sailing out of the room in a flash of red hair, sliding on her posterior all the way back to the wall.  Sandi exits the room holding a large metal coffee table as if it were a baseball bat.)

Sandi:  I always wanted to do that!!

Stacy : Eap!! (disappears)

Tiffany:  You've...got...to be stopped!  Hurting people...is _wrong_!!

(Tiffany ignites.  But igniting is not the only thing she can do.  As her clothes burn away, she extends the flame in the way a flare would extend from a flare gun. Sandi soon finds herself on fire, as well, and drops the table.)

Sandi:  Aaaggghgh!!

Tiffany:  You stop fighting...and I'll put it out!!

Sandi:  Not if I don't put _you_ out first!  

(Sandi immediately traverses the distance, right through the flame, and throws a haymaker punch.  Tiffany bounces off the ceiling, and onto the floor.  Her flame goes out.  The naked Tiffany isn't moving.)

Quinn (waking up):  Oh...no!!  You...you _killed_ Tiffany!

Stacy (still invisible): You...bastard!

(The now-naked Sandi snaps out of her rage.)

Sandi:  T-Tiffany?  Tiffany!  Oh God...Oh GOD!!!  

(Sandi immediately sinks to the floor, in a fetal ball.)

Sandi:  Somebody...somebody...please...please _kill_ me....!

(There is silence, save for Sandi's tears.  Romanica and Claude poke their heads inside.)

Romanica:  Uh...is anyone..a-alive in there?

(Quinn stands up.  She immediately runs out of the room.)

Claude:  Uh...I guess I better get a doctor.  Oh boy.

(Tiffany begins to stir.)

Tiffany:  Ow....

Claude:  Or maybe, not.

Sandi:  Tiffany...you're alive?

Tiffany:  Yeah...that was sooooo wrong, Sandi!  Like, totalllllly wrong!

Sandi (mumbles): Well....

Tiffany:  You know...this is the second tiiime...you've cried when you thought I was dead.  It was realllllly touching....

Sandi:  Well...uh..g-g-guhhhh (begins crying)

Tiffany: (begins crying)

(Tiffany and Sandi embrace.  Sandi picks Tiffany up from the ground, inadvertently.)

Tiffany (gasps):...ribs...

Sandi: Eap!  (drops Tiffany)

Stacy:  That...is...sooooo...touching!  (begins crying, too)

Romanica:  Well, before _I_ start crying, I'd better find Quinn and tell her the good news—

(looks over at the three making spectacles of themselves)

Romanica:  -- or...something.

(Scene:  Quinn's room in the complex.  Quinn is rapidly packing her clothes, shoving them unfashionably in suitcases, tears running down her face.  Romanica enters.)

Romanica:  Darling!  I have great news!  Tiffany is alive!!

(Quinn stops packing.)

Romanica:  Don't you see?  It's wonderful news!  Your friends are all right.  They're safe.

Quinn (pauses):  Tiffany was lucky.  We were all lucky.  Space Hair.  Jesus, what was I thinking?

Romanica:  What are you saying?

Quinn:  I—was—almost—KILLED in there!!  And Tiffany!!  At least I'm stretchy!  Sandi hit me pretty badly and I somehow bounced back, thank God!  But there is no—way—in—HELL—that Tiffany should have survived!!  

Romanica:  See?  This is exactly what we were talking about!  I can call Serena Williams this afternoon....

Quinn:  You don't get it do you?  Sandi is a freak!  She hates herself, and she hates us!  I can't sit here and watch her destroy herself!  And I...I can't reach her.  I've tried everything.  But it's like she doesn't even care about life any more.

Romanica:  Quinn...darling...Sandi snapped out of it.  She and Tiffany are friends again.

Quinn:  Listen.  Tiffany and I...we're friends, but we're really not friends, in a way.  But she almost got killed.  What's left for Sandi?  Are we going to lock her in a room somewhere?  Bury her in cement?  What?  I'm going home!  (begins crying again) This is stupid!  This is a nightmare!  

(Scene:  The conference room.)

Claude:  Romanica, it's falling apart right before our eyes!  

Romanica:  All right.  We keep Quinn here.  Lock the doors.  Whatever.  We still have Stacy and Tiffany.  Three of them.

Claude:  Stacy is gone.

Romanica:  What?!?

Claude:  I can't find her anywhere!

Romanica:  Oh, you doofus, Stacy is supposed to be gone!!  _She's_ the little invisible mouse!   For God's sake, Claude, get a bloodhound and sniff her out!  Don't let any of those little money factories leave the building!!  

Claude:  I'll buy a bloodhound, first thing tomorrow!

Romanica:  Have security close the doors immediately!  And..figure out how you keep a stretchy person inside a building!  And buy a fire extinguisher!!

(Scene:  Claude leaves the room.  Romanica looks at her portfolio, then closes it in disgust and walks out, cellphone in hand, door open.  A sigh can be heard, but no one is there to voice it.  The door slowly closes itself.)

(Scene:  Yancy Street Chinese Restaurant.  A run-down dump.  A Chinese woman reads the Daily News while the kitchen staff discuss matters in Mandarin.  A slow business day.  Suddenly, an unhappy Stacy turns off her invisibility and appears in a seat.)

Amy:  Stacy!  How are you?  You want your usual?

Stacy:  I guess.  But I just want a bowl of egg drop soup.

Amy: (relaying the order in Mandarin to the wait staff)  So they say those bad things about you again?

Stacy:  Yeah.

Amy:  I tell you, this power of yours, it is no good.  You should not be listening to what other people saying, hiding in invisible shadows.  Even among the best of friends, it is not always good to hear what others think of you.

Stacy:  Well, I figured out that Romanica and Claude aren't our friends.  But the way they were talking about us...it's like we weren't even like human beings or anything!

Amy:  You will always be a human being.  You feel.  You shouldn't let anyone take that away from you.  But if you are a human being, you must feel pain.  Do you feel pain?

Stacy:  Yeah.

Amy:  So you are a human being.  So there.  You don't like what you are doing, you go back home.

Stacy:  Suuuuure.  Go back home!  Mom just thinks it's a _wonderful _opportunity!  Dad does too.  He's so proud that I'm on TV!  I would just like to..to tell them off!!

Amy:  Talk to your friends, then!

Stacy:  What can they tell me...that I don't already know?  I know what they say, behind my back....

Amy:  I told you.  You listen to them.  You spy on everybody, and now, you can't trust anybody.

Stacy:  Amy...what am I supposed to _do_?

Amy:  You need someone smart.  Someone who doesn't trust anybody else, either.  

Stacy:  Amy!  _You_ come to Fashionable Four Enterprises!

Amy:  What? (aghast)  And leave all _this_ behind?

(Stacy looks around.  It's the same old damn dump as before.)

Stacy:  Well...uh...I see your point, I guess.

Amy:  You keep thinking.  You find somebody.  And your egg drop soup is ready.

(IN OUR NEXT EXCITING INSTALLMENT:  Who will control Fashionable Four Enterprises?  Romanica and Claude?  The Fashion Club?  Or those within our very own government?  And who could Stacy find that doesn't trust anybody?  And who is that ominous armored figure in the background, a figure who holds everything the Fashion Club stands for in contempt? Tune in soon for the next exciting adventure of...THE FASHIONABLE FOUR!!)


End file.
